Sewing-machine ruffler.



A. H. DE VOB. SEWING MACHINE RUFFLEB. APPLIoATloN FILED 11111325, 1909.

984,081., Patented Feb.14,1911.

W ATTORNEY 7m: Now/s FErsRs co4. wAsHrNcroN. n, cA

UNITE STATES FATENI .ALBERT I-I. DE VOE, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEI/VJERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE R'FELER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-MachineRufflers, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in ruflling mechanisms, andmore particularly to that class in which the rufiling blade is carriedby a vibratory arm or lever fulcrumed beneath the workplate; and it hasfor its object to provide simple and conveniently operated means ofadjustment of the stroke of the ruffling blade and its pressure upon thefabric to be ruffled.

In the preferred embodiment of the improvement, the ruffling bladecarrying arm is slotted to receive an adjustable pivotal connection witha similarly slotted arm of a rock-shaft deriving its operative movementsfrom the main-shaft, the ruffling blade being` fixed upon a tiltingblock pivotally mounted upon the supporting arm and engagedaccentrically to its pivot by a spring carried by said supporting armand operating upon the block to press the ruffling blade into contactwith the fabric to be ruffled. The said pivotal connection is embracedbythe forked lateral arm of an angular shift-lever fulcrumed upon theblade supporting arm and having a depending arm carrying a swivelblockengaging an adjusting screw tapped into a second swivel-block upon theblade supporting arm, so that the turning of the screw to move theangular lever causes the shifting of the pivotal connection intermediatethe driving and driven slotted arms to adjust the stroke of the ruffiingblade.

The spring for applying lateral pressure to the rufliing blade is fixedupon a holder pivotally mounted upon the blade carrying arm and providedwith a lateral finger engaged by the operative portion of a camleveralso mounted upon the blade-carrying arm and adapted to tilt the holderso as to vary the pressure of the spring upon the pivot block whichcarries the ruliling blade and thereby vary the lateral pressure of theruffling blade upon the work.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1909.

Patented Feb.. fst, 191i.

serial No. 504,245.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front side elevation of arufliing and stitching machine such as that forming the subject of mypending application Serial No. 457,538, tiled October 13, 1906, and containing the present improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views,upon a larger scale, of the rufiiing blade actuating and adjustingdevices. Fig. 4f is a detail partial sectional view of thepivotalconnection between the slotted actuating and rufliing bladecarrying arms.

As in my application before mentioned, the machine is constructed withthe base l and hollow overhanging bracket-arm 2 in which is journaledthe needle-actuating rock-shaft 3 having the lateral crank et connectedby means of the pitman 5 with an actuating crank 6 in the main-shaft 7journaled in the base l beneath the work-plate S. The rock-shaft 3 hasat its forward end a crank and pitman connection with the reciprocatingneedle-bar 9 provided with a twin needleclamp l0 carrying the needles l1cooperating with the thread-carrying loopers l?. mounted upon therocking carrier 13 fulcrumed at 14- upon the transversely rocking framel5 and having a pitman connection 1G with the upright arm 17 of abell-crank lever mounted upon a fixed fulcruin IS and having a lateralarm 19 connected by means of a pitman 20 with a second cran -arm 21 uponthe rearward end of the needleactuating rock-shaft 3 from which theloopers derive their longitudinal loop-seizing and shedding movements.

The machine is provided with the usual feeding mechanism including thefeed-dog 22, and with the presser-foot 23 opposed to said feed-dog.

Mounted in suitable bearing bosses 24E at the front side of the base lis the ruftler actuating rock-shaft 25 provided at its rearward end witha lateral arm 26 forked to embracean actuating cam or eccentric Q7 Xedupon the main-shaft and adapted to impart rocking movements to theru'lller shaft, the latter having fixed upon its forward end an uprightarm 23 with an undercut slot 29 running lengthwise thereof in which isslidingly fitted the head 30 of a screw-stud 3l entering a slidingbushing 32 havine' a flange restino' u )on one face of oarts 53 54 and56 resulting from wear the D n. D 7 t! 7 the arm 28 and shouldered toform a reduced portion to receive the slide-block 34 which enters a slot35 in an upright arm 36 fnlcrumed upon the supporting rocking pin 37which is mounted within a suitable bearing at the front end of themachine bed. To the opposite end portion of the screwstud 3l is applieda washer 38 and the nut 39 for clamping the washer 38 against the end ofthe bushing 32.

The slotted arm 36 is formed at its upper end with a lug 40 entering aslot in the carrier-block 4l pivoted thereon by means of the transversepin 42, the top of said block adording a fiat seat upon which is securedby means of fastening screws 43 one end of the ruffling blade 44provided with laterally offset operative end 45 having notched andserrated work-engaging edge 46. lThe block 4l is provided with adepending finger 47 normally pressed toward the adjacent edge of the arm36 by means of the flat spring 48 whose action upon the block imposes anupward pressure upon the ruffling blade 44 engaging the under side ofthe fabric to be ruflied. The arm 36 is formed with a forwardlyprojecting wing 49 carrying a screw-stud 50 upon which is fulcrumed anangular shift-lever having a lateral arm 5l forked to embrace thebushing 32 and a depending arm 52 carrying at its lower end the forkedthrust-block 53 engaged by the necked portion of the adjusting screw 54provided at the adjacent end with the head 55 and having its threadedopposite end portion fitted to a split threaded socket formed in theblock 56 swiveled in the wing 49 of the arm 36 below the forked end ofthe arm 51 of the shift-lever. A screw 57 is applied to the split block56 for clamping the same upon the shank of the adjusting screw 54 andimposing sufficient friction thereon to prevent its working loose. Theblock 53 is swiveled to the end of the shift-lever arm 52 by means ofthe screw 53X and the block 56 is similarly swiveled to the wing 49 ofthe arm 36 by means of the screw 56x passing through the latter.

The actuating arm 28 derives uniform vibratory movements from the cam 27upon the main-shaft, but by turning the screw 54 in one or the otherdirection, the angular relation of the shift-lever 5l 52 to the rufflingblade supporting arm 36 may be varied and the pivotal connection 3lbetween the arms 36 and 28 correspondingly changed to alter theoperative stroke of the rufliing blade.

To insure against the displacement of the shift-lever in a givenadjustment under the normal operation of the machine, which may resultfrom lost motion between the depending arm 52 of the shift-lever isprovided with a transverse slot 58 radially disposed in relation tothe-fulcrum-stud 50 which slot is entered by the threaded end of aclamp-screw 59 tapped into the wing 49 of the arm 36 and provided with ahead in the form of a thumb-piece 60 and interposed washer 61. lVhenthis clamp-screw is used, it is obviously required to be loosenedpreparatory to operation of the adjusting screw, after which it isretightened'to clamp the shift-lever in the new position of adjustment.

The lower end of the spring 48 is secured by means of fastening screws62 to a flange 63 constituting one arm of a holder pivotally mountedupon the side of the wing 49 opposite the shift-lever 5l 52 by means ofthe stud-screw 64, another arm 65 of said holder having one edge inengagement with the cam-shaped end 66 of a lever 67 fulcrumed by meansof the stud-screw 68 upon the wing 49, a friction washer 69 beinginterposed between the head of the stud-screw 68 and the cam portion 66of the lever. By shifting the lever 67 upwardly or downwardly, the arm65 of the spring-holder may be moved to instantaneously change thepressure of the spring 48 upon the depending finger 47 of the ruflierblade carrying block 4l.

As will be observed, the means of adjustment before described, wherebythe operative movements of the ruffling blade and the pressure of thesame upon the fabric to be ruffled may be varied, are disposed in themost convenient position for manipulation by the operator, both theadjusting-screw head 55 and the outer end of the lever 67 beingpresented to the operator at t-he very front of the machine, and theseadjustments of the less accessible parts may be made by the operatorwith the greatest ease.

l/Vhile the preferred vform and arrangement of the component parts ofthe present improvement are shown and described herein, it is evidentthat the construction is susceptible of considerable modificationwithout departure from the spiritof the invention. Thus, while forconvenience the arms 28 and 36 are described as being slotted, it is tobe understood that any suitable form of guideway for the adjustableconnection between the same would be within the scope of the invention,as also certain other modifications of different parts of the mechanism.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim herein isl. A ruffling mechanism for sewing machines comprising a ruffling blade,a supporting rock-arm therefor fulcrumed below said rufiiing blade andprovided with a guideway, an actuating rock-arm provided llt) with aguideway and disposed adjacent said supporting rock-arm, means forrocking said actuating rock-arm, an adjustable connection intermediatesaid rock-arms and fitted to their respective guideways wherebyoperative movements are imparted from one to the other, and meanscarried by one of said roch-arms for shifting said adjustable connectionlengthwise of the said arms.

2. A rutliing mechanism for sewing machines comprising a rutlling blade,a supporting rock-arm therefor fulcrumed below said rutl'ling blade andprovided with a guideway, an actuating roch-arm provided with a guidewayand disposed adjacent said supporting roch-arm, means for rocking saidactuating rock-arm, an adjustable connection intermediate said roch-armsand fitted to their respective guideways whereby operative movements areimparted from one to the other, and a shift-lever pivotally mounted uponone of said arms and operatively engaging said adjustable connection.

in a sewing machine, the combination with the work-plate, an actuating`shaft disposed beneath the same, and stitch-forming and feedingmechanisms, of ruiiling mechanism comprising a rutliing blade disposedabove the work-plate, an upwardly extending supporting roch-arm thereforprovided 'with a guideway, a rocking pin affording a fulcrum for saidrock-arm and disposed beneath the work-plate, a roch-shaft parallel withand disposed above said rocking pin and arranged beneath the work-plate,an operative connection between said rock-shaft and said actuatingshaft, an upwardly extending actuating rock-arm fixed upon saidrock-shaft adjacent the supporting rock-arm and provided with aguideway, an adjustable connection intermediate said rock-arms andfitted to their respective guideways whereby operative movements areimparted from one to the other, and means carried by one of saidrock-arms for shifting said adj ustable connection lengthwise of theguideways of said arms.

l. In a sewing machine, the combination with the work-plate, a rotaryshaft carrying an actuating cam and disposed beneath said work-plate,and stitch-forming and feeding mechanisms, of ru'liiing mechanismcomprising a rattling blade arranged above the work-plate, an upwardlyextending` supporting roch-arm therefor provided with a longitudinalguideway, a rocking pin carrying said rock-arm and disposed beneath thework-plate, a roch-shaft parallel with said rocking pin and disposedabove the sam-e and beneath the work-plate, an arm fixed upon saidrock-shaft and forked to embrace said actuating cam upon the rotaryshaft, an upwardly extending actuating rock-arm guideways of fixed uponsaid rock-shaft adjacent said su pporting r cli-arm and provided with alongitudinal guideway, an adjustable connection intermediate saidrock-arms and fitted to their respective guideways whereby operativemovements are imparted from one to the other, and means carried by oneof said roch-arms for shifting said adjustable connection lengthwise ofthe guideways of said arms.

5. A rattling mechanism for sewing machines comprising a rutiling blade,a supporting rock-arm therefor having a longitudinal guideway andprovided with a lateral extension, an actuating rock-arm provided with alongitudinal guideway and disposed adjacent said supporting rock-arm,means for rocking said actuating rock-arm, an adjustable connectionintermediate said rock-arms and fitted to their respective guidewayswhereby operative movements are imparted from one to the other, and ashiftlever pivotally mounted upon said lateral extension of thesupporting roch-arm and operatively engaging said adjustable connectionfor moving the same lengthwise of the guideways of said arms.

G. ifi rutlling mechanism for sewing machines comprising a rutllingblade, a supporting rock-arm therefor provided with a guideway, anactuating rock-arm provided with a guideway and disposed adjacent saidsupporting rocltarm, means for rocking said actuating rock-arm, anadjustable connection intermediate said rock-arms and fitted to theirrespective guideways whereby operative movements are imparted from oneto the other, a shift-lever pivotally mounted upon one of said arms andoperatively engaging said adjustable connection, and means applied tothe last mentioned arm for securing said shift-lever in adjustedposition.

7. A rul'lling mechanism for sewing machines comprising a rattlingblade, a supporting rock-arm therefor provided with a guideway, anactuating rock-arm provided with a guideway and disposed adjacent saidsupporting rock-arm, means for rocking said actuating rock-arm, anadjustable connection intermediate said roch-arms and fitted to theirrespective guideways whereby operative movements are imparted from oneto the other, a shift-lever pivotally mounted upon one of said arms andoperatively engaging said adjustable connection, swiveled lugs carriedrespectively by said shift-lever and the arm upon which the same ismounted, and an adj Listing screw swiveled within one of said lugs andtapped into the other whereby the relation of said shiftlever and armcarrying the saine may be varied toadjust the position of saidconnection between said arms.

8. A rattling mechanism for sewing maehines eolnprng a rulng blade, asupllever, and means for imparting vbratory 10 porting rock-armtherefor7 :L Spring for applying lateral pressure to suld ruthng blade,

movements to said supporting arxn.

In testllnony whereof, have Slgned my a plural-armed holder pvotallymounted name to this Specification, in the presence of upon saldsupportlng arm and havmg an two subsorlblng Wltnesses.

arm to which said Spring is secured and a second arm, a cam-leverfulcrulned upon said supporting arm n operative engagement With thesecond arm of said holding ALBERT H. DE VCE. fitnesses H. A. KORNEMANN,JOSEPH F. JAQUITH.

